Description
Ermine Frosting is an old-fashioned recipe, and a great not-too-sweet alternative to regular buttercream. It’s light and silky smooth with a delicious vanilla buttery flavor, and it pipes beautifully!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 cup granulated sugar*
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk, warm
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract**
Instructions
- Add the granulated sugar and flour to a medium saucepan. Whisk the two together together for a few seconds to combine, and place over medium heat. Whisk constantly while slowly adding the warm milk. Keep whisking and cook until the mixture becomes very thick. It should be a custard-like consistency.
- Remove from the heat and transfer the mixture to a bowl. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes. Place a piece of plastic wrap over the mixture, making sure the plastic wrap is touching the surface of the mixture. This will prevent a skin from forming. Place the bowl in a refrigerator for about 15 to 20 minutes to finish cooling down. The mixture should not be chilled. It should be cooled to room temperature only.
- Add the butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or use a hand mixer. Beat on high for about 3 minutes, or until the butter is a very pale almost white color.
- Turn mixer to medium speed and add the cooked mixture, one heaping tablespoon at a time until it’s all incorporated, about 1 minute.
- Add the salt and vanilla and beat on high for about 2 minutes or until the mixture forms peaks that will stay on the whisk when the whisk is lifted. The mixture should be thick and creamy.
- Frost up to 12 cupcakes generously or one two layer 8 or 9-inch layer cake. This frosting will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days on cake or cupcakes.
Notes
- *You can safely reduce the amount of sugar in this recipe to 1/2 cup, if you prefer an even less sweet frosting.
- ** If you want a pristine white frosting you can use clear vanilla. However, clear vanilla is imitation. I prefer pure vanilla extract. My frosting is a slight off white color.